Twist of Fate
by TangledSenses
Summary: It's the summer before he moves to New York and Kurt is facing multiple upheavals in his life. You would think spending the entire summer at a luxury resort in the Maldives would allow him to get away from all that, right? Think again, fate still has much more in store for him.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing but the plot.  
_**Author's note: **___This is a multi chaptered fic and as of right now I have no idea how long it will be. This part has no Kurtbastian and just deals with Kurt and Blaine's relationship but never fear, Sebastian will be in the story from the next chapter and onwards! :) I also have to say a massive thank you to my beta's, my baby Allie 3 and Katt!_

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_"The right kind of love is the love that let's go."_

Kurt Hummel thought he had his life all figured out. Graduate high school, move to New York to get his degree at NYADA, marry his boyfriend Blaine and live happily ever after. But there was one major factor that he neglected to take into account: Fate. Fate, that works in weird, but wonderful, ways. Fate that did not agree with Kurt's perfect plan and was about to shake up his life as he knew it.

The first snag in the plan came in the form of a letter.

"I didn't get in," Kurt murmured to Finn and Rachel as he stood in the choir room clutching the letter of rejection from NYADA.

He'd walked on autopilot until he found Blaine and showed him the letter. He looked so angry and hurt on Kurt's behalf. The rushing in his ears prevented him from being able to really take in what Blaine was saying but he caught parts of the tirade like 'it isn't fair, Kurt,' and 'but your audition was so perfect!' Blaine drove them both back to his house and it wasn't until Kurt was in Blaine's bedroom, safe in the confines of those strong arms that he knew so well, that he allowed himself to cry.

It felt like the sobs were being ripped from him, each one causing a fresh wave of pain to course through his chest. What was he going to do now? The future he had been planning and waiting for was no longer an option for him. He choked out his fears about having no future and no chance of a good life into Blaine's chest. Those hands stroking gently up and down his back and the sound of Blaine's steady heartbeat in his ear were the only things keeping him grounded and preventing him from becoming completely hysterical. When he began cursing his own stupidity for not applying anywhere else and pinning his hopes on only one school Blaine moved to get up.

"Please don't go anywhere, I don't want to be by myself," Kurt pleaded in a manner that was uncharacteristically needy of him.

"Hey, I'm just going to get something for you. I'm not going anywhere, I swear." Blaine soothed, placing a kiss on Kurt's forehead.

Blaine returned to the bed holding a large white envelope looking all of a sudden nervous. The hazel eyed boy took a deep breath as if to prepare himself for what he was about to say.

"Okay, Kurt, let me say my piece and please don't be mad," Blaine paused to see Kurt's reaction and continued when the older boy stayed silent.

"A little bit before Christmas I started doing some research about NYADA for when I had to apply next year and I found out how crazily competitive it really is and I- I knew you had only applied there and I was worried that something like this might happen."

Kurt blanched a little at those words and Blaine hastily carried on, "Not because I didn't think you were good or special enough or because I didn't believe in you because, _God _Kurt, I did and I do more than anything. It was just because of how competitive it is and how many people apply."

Blaine paused for a moment and his eyes swept over Kurt's face anxiously to try and gauge his boyfriend's feelings. Kurt took Blaine's hand in his, which visibly calmed him, and told him to continue.

"So, I applied for an internship at Vogue in New York on your behalf because I know fashion is something you're insanely passionate about and I got your dad to get me some of your sketches to send away and the reply came on Monday and it's good news. You got the internship, baby."

Kurt couldn't believe what he was hearing. This perfect human being sat across from him had done this wonderful thing for him, and was actually frightened that Kurt would be upset about it. He wasn't able to vocalise his emotions yet so he showed Blaine how he felt in the next best way he could. He surged forward capturing Blaine's lips in a desperate, messy kiss and smiled at the little 'umpf' of surprise that escaped the shorter boy. He let his lips slide against Blaine's hoping he could feel the intense gratitude that Kurt was feeling. He swept his tongue against Blaine's bottom lip in a plea for access which he was granted immediately as Blaine opened his mouth and let his tongue stroke against Kurt's. Kurt fisted his hand in the back of Blaine's shirt and moved to straddle his boyfriend's lap. Blaine broke away from the kiss with a cheeky smile to ask, "So I'm guessing you're pretty happy, huh?"

A burst of surprised laughter escaped Kurt and he took Blaine's face between his hands and began peppering gentle kisses all over his cheeks, nose, eyelids and lips.

"I love you, so much," he whispered between kisses. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Blaine Anderson."

_ o_

Although Kurt couldn't deny that he was bitterly disappointed about NYADA, he was comforted by the promise of still being able to go to New York with Rachel to do something that he loved and he owed all of that to Blaine. Blaine, who he was still falling more and more in love with every day, Blaine who was the boy of his dreams, Blaine who had been behaving strange and almost distant for the past week.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was definitely something off about Blaine's behavior that made dread twist in Kurt's stomach. Blaine wasn't available to hang out as much as usual and when he was he was quiet and serious. Even their love making was a more sombre affair; the thrusts slow and the kisses deep and needy while Blaine's hands traced every inch of Kurt as if trying to memorise him.

On the first Friday of summer vacation Kurt woke early from an uneasy sleep. He'd been at Blaine's the night before and was left shaken up by the intense, dark look in his boyfriend's eyes when he grabbed Kurt's face between his hands and told him that he was going to love him forever. Kurt couldn't silence the nagging in the back of his mind that told him it sounded a lot like a goodbye.

Kurt was baking in an attempt to clear his mind when he got that fateful phone call.

"Hi, Kurt." Blaine's voice sounded tired and rough as if he had been crying. "We need to talk, it's important." He murmured.

Kurt swallowed hard, trying to keep the nausea that was swelling within him at bay and tried to sound casual.

"Sure, honey. Do you want to go out to eat tonight?"

"I- I think we should talk in private. Can I just come over?" Blaine asked hesitantly.

"Of course you can. I'll see you in a half hour? I love you."

Blaine didn't reply and the line went dead. Kurt slid down onto the cold kitchen tiles and let his head fall into his hands, taking deep steadying breaths in a desperate attempt to keep himself calm. He didn't know what Blaine was going to say, it might not be bad, he tried to reason with himself, but he wasn't convinced.

_ o_

Blaine arrived at the Hudson-Hummel household within twenty minutes looking drawn and distressed. His eyes were rimmed red and looked suspiciously wet.

"Oh my God, what's happened?" Kurt asked guiding Blaine to the living room couch. Burt and Carole were both at work and Finn was still sound asleep in his bedroom, so he knew they'd have the privacy they were no doubt going to need.

Once they were seated on the couch facing each other Kurt took Blaine's hand, intertwining their fingers and said softly, "Come on Blaine, what's going on? We promised each other complete honesty, remember? You can tell me anything."

He really was trying to keep it together but the look on Blaine's face caused his voice to tremble and show the fear he was trying to keep under wraps.

Blaine took a deep shuddering breath before he began, "I- Kurt, you need to know that this isn't what I want. I love you more than I've ever loved anything, you know that don't you?"

Kurt nodded almost imperceptibly, but tightened his grip on Blaine's hand that was becoming slick with sweat.

"We're moving to London," Blaine blurted as if the words had been burning his tongue. "My family and I. My dad's going to become a partner in a law firm with one of his old buddies—"

Although Blaine continued to ramble Kurt stopped being able to hear clearly at that point. The blood rushing in his ears was making him light headed and the words '_moving to London'_ were going through his mind on a sickening loop.

"… I don't want to hold you back in New York, so I think it's for the best."

That caught Kurt's attention again.

"Wait—wait a minute. You think what's for the best?" He choked out, willing the burning behind his eyes to go away.

Blaine's eyes filled with tears as he uttered, "That we break up."

A sob escaped Kurt as he moved to clutch Blaine's biceps and scramble closer to the younger boy who now had tears sliding freely down his cheeks

"No." Kurt said firmly, "The best for who? It's not what's best for me. _You_ are what's best for me! My life got better when I met _you_. _You_ are what I need!"

He knew he sounded hysterical but he didn't care. "Have I done something wrong? Just tell me what I've done and I'll fix it; I swear. I promise I can make it better."

They were both crying openly now, hot tears streaking their faces.

"Baby, no." Blaine began, his voice thick. He reached out and cupped Kurt's cheek. "You haven't done anything wrong. You're perfect. It's just, we're going to be so far apart and—"

Blaine broke off as a fresh wave of tears wracked his small frame. There was only one thing that was causing Kurt more pain than this conversation, and that was the sight of Blaine –his Blaine—so visibly heartbroken, so he wrapped him up in his arms as tightly as he could manage as if he was physically trying to hold him together.

"We already decided to do the long distance thing. Why does the fact that you're moving away too have to change that?"

Blaine lifted his head from where it had been resting on Kurt's shoulder and began to explain.

"You were only moving to a different state, Kurt. We would still have been in the same country. We were going to be able to see each other for every holiday, and for some weekends too, but when I move, we'll be continents apart. We won't be able to jump in the car or catch a train for a stolen weekend if we want. We would probably only get to see each other four times out of our year apart, even if that. I don't think even a couple as strong as us would be able to survive that, Kurt. Not because we don't love each other but because it would just be too difficult to stand. I don't want you to go to New York and be tied down to me, I want you to begin living the fulfilling life that you deserve and I just know you won't be able to do that if you're worrying about me. Not really anyway."

Blaine's voice began to crack towards the end of his speech. He looked as distraught as Kurt felt.

"But I'll still be in love with you!" Kurt argued. "It won't make any difference; I'll be thinking about you whether we're together or not. Don't you understand that you're the love of my life? I've loved you from the moment I set eyes on you on that staircase at Dalton, and that's not just going to go away because you're not physically with me. I can wait a year! I waited for you for _seventeen_ years before we met. Don't do this."

"I'm doing this for us!" Blaine managed to get out through his tears. "This is the last thing I want. I don't want to move across the globe and I don't want to break up with you but I don't want us to end badly either and I think that's what will happen if we try to stay together. I have been begging my parents to change their minds about this since I found out on Tuesday but they won't budge, and I am terrified about having to go start a new life without you or any of my friends. So if I can't have you there as my boyfriend to hold me, or kiss me when I'm feeling down, I want to be able to call you as my best friend and have you cheer me up and I want to be able to come back to a best friend too, but if we force this relationship to work over continents we could end up resenting our commitment to each other. You're not just my boyfriend, Kurt, you're also the best friend I have ever had, and I really believe our friendship is the most important part of our relationship. I will do anything to keep that intact even if it means having to spend the year without having you as my boyfriend. You say I'm the love of your life, right? Well you're mine too and if it's meant to be then we will be together like this again when I move to New York for college. People who are meant to be together will _always_ find their way back to each other. I believe in fate."

Kurt nodded weakly and moved forward to rest his forehead against Blaine's. He understood. He really did but it did not make the situation any easier.

"When do you leave?" He asked thickly.

"Wednesday. My parents bought the new house last week and my mom wants to leave as soon as possible so we can all settle in before my dad starts work and I start at my new school."

Kurt swallowed hard before standing and taking Blaine by the hand and leading him to the big armchair in the corner of the room. He sat down and motioned for Blaine to sit down with him. When Blaine crawled into Kurt's lap he buried his face into the younger boy's neck and wept.

They were still wrapped tightly around each other, both of them trying to capture the feel and the scent of the other so that they could always remember it when Finn came downstairs in the early afternoon.

"What's going on guys?" Finn asked hesitantly, still surveying the sombre scene before him.

They explained the situation and Kurt was surprised to note the wetness in his brother's eyes. Finn lurched across the room and gathered the two boys into a bone crushing hug while mumbling, "I'm really sad for both of you guys. I'm gonna miss you, Blaine." When Finn broke away, Kurt knew from the look on his face that Blaine was experiencing the same painful lump in the back of his throat that he was.

Giving the news to Burt and Carole was an emotional affair. Carole wrapped them both into a motherly embrace, telling them over and over how sorry she was for them but that she knew they would be okay. Most surprising of all the reactions was Burt's; he sat and listened to everyone speak in silence with misty eyes before clapping Blaine firmly on the shoulder.

"I'm gonna miss you, kid. Who am I gonna mope with over Kurt being gone?" He joked half-heartedly.

Blaine let out a choked laugh, and stood to wrap Burt in a hug. The older man looked surprised for a moment before relaxing into the embrace.

_ o_

Kurt spent the remainder of Blaine's time in Lima by his side, trying to create as many memories as possible for when his boyfriend was out of his reach. Their parents granted them permission to stay overnight with one another given the situation and they took full advantage of that. When they were at Blaine's they showered together in his ensuite bathroom, each tenderly washing the other and drinking in the sight of their other half like men dying of thirst. They made love a few times and kept it a slow, sweet and intense series of dragging thrusts and deep kisses, but mostly they opted to just lie in bed tangled together, talking and murmuring reassurances until they fell asleep. The only time they spent apart was when Blaine spent the day hanging out with the 'glee dudes' for the last time and even then Kurt picked him up and drove him back to the Hudson(-)Hummel's to stay afterwards.

Their last days passed far too quickly and Wednesday crept up on them from behind, grabbing them both by the throat and before they knew it Finn was driving Kurt and Blaine to the airport with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson in the car in front of them.

Kurt and Finn stayed with the Anderson's until they reached security and could go no further. Blaine's father shook Kurt's hand and formally wished him good luck in New York, while Mrs Anderson briefly hugged Kurt and whispered, "Thank you for making him so happy." In his ear before letting him go then, with one last close-lipped smile, she and her husband made their way to the security queue.

Kurt was shocked by Blaine's mother's uncharacteristic show of warmth. She had always seemed as though she disapproved of his and Blaine's relationship, and had shown him only stiff politeness when he visited the house. He couldn't spend time dwelling on it though because he had to say his goodbyes to Blaine.

Finn hugged Blaine tightly telling him how grateful he was for how great a boyfriend he had been to Kurt and that he was going to miss having him around the house. The moving scene made Kurt's eyes prickle with suppressed emotion.

When he was finished, Finn squeezed Kurt's shoulder in a show of reassurance and moved to a nearby bench to give the boys some privacy.

Kurt's legs felt as though they were made of lead as he struggled to take the few steps towards Blaine and close the distance between them for the final time. As soon as he was close enough, Blaine took Kurt's face in his hands and took a shuddering breath. As soon as Blaine's warm hands were on him everything else seemed to flee from Kurt's mind; he didn't notice Mr. and Mrs. Anderson's impatient glances, or Finn's sorrowful ones, or anyone else in the airport. All that mattered to him was Blaine. His gorgeous, talented, quirky, perfect Blaine.

He could not think of any words that would accurately describe the fear and despair he felt about being without him or that would convey how desperately he loved him, so he placed his lips on Blaine's and tried to show him like that. He poured every ounce of emotion he had into the kiss hoping that the intense slide of lips and tongue would allow Blaine to understand how he felt.

When they broke apart, Blaine's eyes looked pained as he whimpered, "I don't know what to say," sounding strangled.

Kurt wrapped his arms around the smaller boy's neck and replied, "Me either, honey."

Blaine gripped Kurt's waist tightly and whispered, "I love you so much, Kurt."

"I love you, too."

They held each other like that until Blaine's father called on him because they were nearing the front of the queue. They reluctantly let each other go and Kurt looked into the hazel eyes he had come to know so well to ask, "Are we broken up now?" He really did not want to know the answer.

Blaine's bottom lip trembled slightly as he nodded, "I still love you though."

Kurt placed a lingering last kiss on Blaine's lips and told him to call when he got to London before his now ex-boyfriend made his way to the security gate. He stood and watched Blaine till he was out of sight before turning to face Finn, who looked as though he had aged since he entered the airport. Kurt fought the tears that he had surprised himself by managing to hold in so far and he now willed them to stay away until he was in private.

He made it to Finn's car before the floodgates opened. It was as though the click of his seatbelt had flipped a switch within him. Huge, painful sobs wracked his slim frame as he wept over the end of an era that he hadn't been ready to see finish yet. Even with Finn holding his hand in a vice-like grip, he had never felt more alone and he ached to have his mother wrap him up in her soft, comforting embrace.

From the moment he met him, Blaine had always been like an anchor to Kurt; keeping his feet on the ground so he could take the baby steps into adulthood and now that he was gone it felt as though he was floating untethered with no control over his life. Blaine had been the one person who understood how alone and broken Kurt had felt and he had pieced him back together using his friendship and support as glue. From their first meeting they had become a duo, 'KurtandBlaine', and now he faced the daunting task of learning to be just Kurt. He felt as though he was in a nightmare where he was back to being the frightened dejected boy who went to spy on the Dalton Academy Warblers but this time, there was no Blaine there to save his life.

"Come on, man. Let's get you home." Finn murmured when Kurt's tears had begun to slow.

Hot tears continued to slide down Kurt's cheeks the entire way home but he valiantly fought the painful sobs that were building in his chest again, and ignored all of the concerned glances that Finn was occasionally shooting him.

"Do you want something to eat?" Finn asked awkwardly when they had finally arrived home, unsure of what Kurt needed.

He appreciated the gesture but Kurt's stomach had tangled itself into tight knots and food was the last thing he wanted.

"No, thanks," he replied, his voice scratchy from all the crying. "I'm just going to try and get some sleep. Thank you for being there for me today, Finn. I honestly can't thank you enough. You're the best brother."

Finn wrapped his arms around him in a comforting embrace and said into Kurt's hair,

"You don't need to thank me, dude. You do for family."

Kurt shot Finn a weak smile and headed upstairs to his bedroom. When he was safe in the private confines of his bedroom, the full weight of the day hit Kurt leaving him feeling exhausted and cold. He rifled through his closet and pulled out a grey cardigan covered with little red lobsters that Blaine had forgotten to take and inhaled deeply, seeking out the smell of him on it. The familiar scent of Prada cologne and spiced orange from the candles that Mrs. Anderson was always burning caused Kurt's stomach to plummet and a strangled whimper escaped him. He pulled the garment on and dragged his shivering body onto his bed, coiled up into a fetal position and wept himself to sleep.

When Kurt woke from a fitful sleep filled with dreams of Blaine it was just after seven o'clock in the evening. He could smell the delicious aromas of spaghetti bolognaise wafting up from downstairs and his stomach growled greedily. Despite his terrible mood his appetite seemed to have returned with a vengeance, so he took off Blaine's cardigan and made his way downstairs for dinner. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror in the hallway and grimaced; he looked as terrible as he felt. His bloodshot eyes, paler than usual complexion, and untidy hair showed the trauma that the day had inflicted on his emotions.

Carol and his had were home from work, and Puck was there too, watching some sitcom on the couch with Finn when he entered the living room. As soon as they all noticed him they each pinned him with the same sad gaze that made him want to flee back to his room. He didn't want to make everyone in the house miserable just because he was.

"That smells good, dad. I'm starving." He said in attempt to break the awkward silence. Spaghetti Bolognaise was the one dish his dad was excellent at cooking.

Burt smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad you're hungry; I made a lot because I had a feeling you might need some comfort food tonight. How are you holding up buddy?" He asked gently.

Kurt couldn't force himself to lie about how he was feeling even to stop his dad from worrying, so he simply nodded and said, "I feel a little better after getting some sleep."

Which was true, he still felt absolutely awful, but a tiny fraction less so than he had earlier. At least he wasn't exhausted anymore.

"Hey, Kurt," Puck called from the couch, "You wanna come watch some TV with us before dinner?" He held up the blanket that was across his knees and patted the spot next to him in invitation.

"Why not?" He replied with a shrug. "I could do with some of your famous cuddles, Noah."

He took the spot between the two boys and relaxed into the embrace when Puck threw his arm around Kurt's shoulder and pulled him into his chest.

"I know you feel really shitty right now and you probably don't want to hear this, but you're gonna be okay. You're the strongest, bravest guy I know."

That was exactly what he wanted to hear. He wanted reassurance that he wouldn't always feel as though there was a gaping hole in his chest. For the first time all day, Kurt smiled a genuine smile.

_ o_

After everyone had finished eating Burt announced that he and Carole had exciting news to share.

"Oh my God, please tell me you're not pregnant, mom?" Finn asked looking slightly green.

Burt and Carole erupted into laughter.

"No, no," Burt replied. "It's something you guys are gonna love."

"What is it, dad?" Kurt was slightly intrigued.

"Well you know that Aunt Margaret died a few months ago, God rest her soul. Well, she left us a bit of the money that she inherited when that rich husband of hers passed away. Ten thousand dollars of it, actually."

Wow. Kurt was in shock. Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money to just have handed over.

"No way!" Finn exclaimed, looking as though he was about to combust with excitement, "Why didn't you tell us? What are you going to do with it?"

Burt chuckled, "Calm down, I was getting to that. We didn't tell you boys because we wanted it to be a surprise. There was nothing serious that we needed the money for and we're pretty secure financially, so we've been planning a vacation. So boys, that includes you, Puck, start packing because we are leaving on Saturday to spend the entire summer in the Maldives!"

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**Author's note: **

_I hope you enjoyed this part! While I've been writing this I've been putting songs that remind me of it in a playlist. So after each chapter I'll post the songs that go with it and once the fic is finished I'll put the full soundtrack together with download links._

The Love That Le'ts Go - Miley Cyrus ft. Billy Ray Cyrus


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Glee.

**Author's note: **You'll all be pleased to know that Sebastian makes his entrance in this chapter! Thank you to Allie for beta-ing this chapter for me. I hope you all enjoy this part. :)

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On arrival at the Maldives resort that he and his family were staying at, Kurt felt as though he was stepping into a different world completely. Everything from the sleek black limousine that had picked them up at the airport to the solid gold sign on the front of their hotel that read 'Smythe Luxury Resorts' looked more extravagant and expensive than anything he had ever experienced before. The word hotel did not do the place justice, Kurt thought. It was made up of three huge, pristine white, Victorian-style buildings with crimson gabled roofs that created a striking contrast with the sky that was a picture perfect azure.

The air seemed clearer, more pure there and for a moment Kurt forgot himself and noted how much Blaine would love that. He visualised the way his grin would turn childlike with glee as he took huge gulps of the air, reveling in the freshness of it and pain lanced through his heart as though an icy hand had reached into his chest and squeezed it. If Blaine hadn't moved to London he would have been there with Kurt and his family and that knowledge made the beauty of the place seem very bittersweet. He was certain that if Blaine had been by his side everything would have seemed so much more mesmerizing than it already did.

_o o o o_

Just like he had promised, Blaine phoned Kurt when he got to his new house. He sounded exhausted and miserable and there was nothing that Kurt wanted more than to reach out and comfort Blaine with his touch; Blaine was such a tactile person, he always responded best to touch. Not being able to be there for Blaine only served to accentuate the distance between them in Kurt's mind and the despair that crashed over him left him reeling.

"I love you so much," he had murmured into his telephone, not even bothering to try and mask the sadness in his voice.

"I-I love you too, Kurt, you know that, but I think if we're going to make this work we need to really be broken up and behave that way. We're not giving ourselves a fighting chance if we keep acting as though we're still together." Blaine stammered.

Kurt felt as though he had been winded. He knew they hadn't been intended that way but Blaine's words seemed so cold and unfamiliar and he had no idea how to respond. In that moment, it finally sunk in that he no longer had a boyfriend.

"Uh… I suppose you're right. Well I better go, Carole's calling me." He lied. "Goodbye, Blaine."

"Don't be like-"

He ended the call before Blaine was able to finish his sentence. Then he pulled off Blaine's cardigan and threw it down on the ground with a strangled, frustrated cry and for the second time that day, he bawled himself to sleep.

_o o o o_

The rest of his family were just as amazed by the Maldives as he was, but unlike Kurt they all expressed their excitement by chatting animatedly about what they planned to do throughout the vacation. The ache in Kurt's chest eased slightly as he watched them, enjoying their obvious delight. He was pleased to see Finn looking happy and relaxed as he chattered to Puck; Kurt hadn't seen him that way in a while. He had been finding it difficult to cope with his and Rachel's break-up and had spent most of his time since she went to New York moping and trying to pretend that he wasn't. When Finn had told him about his plan to set Rachel free Kurt had felt immensely proud of him and it was then that he realised how brilliant a man his step brother had become.

At the top of the sprawling walkway that led to the main entrance of the hotel, they were greeted by a petite blonde woman in a black pencil skirt and white blouse wearing a broad smile that showed off her perfectly white teeth.

"Hi there!" she said enthusiastically. She checked her clipboard before asking, "Are you the Hummel family?"

Burt confirmed that they were and she beamed again as she shook everyone's hand.

"I'm Samantha, and I'll take you through to the Grand Lobby where we'll get you checked in, then I'll give you all your leaflets and information about the facilities we have and the events that are held here!"

Kurt was impressed as he listened to the long list of facilities that the hotel offered. Two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, a spa, a gym, a cinema, tennis courts and a golf course were only a few from the selection. He made a mental note to pick up an extra set of leaflets for himself since he planned on spending a decent amount of time by himself. After all, he had to get used to being self-sufficient again.

_o o o o_

Since Kurt had chosen not to bring a friend on vacation with him, he had a room to himself which he was incredibly grateful for; privacy was so important to him. He loved spending time with his family, but the idea of waking up in the same room as them, having to get ready around them and going to sleep next to all of them made him feel a little claustrophobic. However, as much as he tried to quieten the notion, he loved the idea of doing all of that with Blaine and longed to have him close.

Kurt had chosen to leave his phone back in Ohio because it would reduce the temptation to call or text Blaine for the summer which would allow them to have the space that the younger boy desired. He also thought that it would be liberating to live without technology for a while and besides, if anyone desperately needed him Finn and Puck had their phones so he could be reached through them.

When he entered his room he was completely blown away by the luxury of it. Everything was in warm neutral shades that instantly made Kurt feel calm and relaxed and he could see himself really enjoying his time spent there. He sat down his suitcase, kicked off his shoes and threw himself on top of the gorgeous queen sized bed that was pressed against the buttery cream wall. A blissful moan escaped Kurt's lips as he allowed himself to relax into the thick, comfortable mattress. He could most definitely get used to this.

After a few minutes of indulgence, he reluctantly eased himself off of the beautiful mahogany framed bed and made to check out the rest of the room. Massive sliding glass doors led to a veranda that looked out onto the beach that was behind the hotel. The view was stunning. It was exactly what Kurt imagined when he thought of pretty tropical islands. He felt as though he had truly reached paradise. Kurt smiled as he pictured himself sitting at the little round table on the veranda while he watched the waves lap gently at the shore at sunrise.

That part of the beach was owned by Smythe Luxury Resorts and only residents of the hotel were permitted to use it, which meant that it would never be too crowded, Kurt had been glad to find out. Since it was only one o'clock in the afternoon there were people on the beach enjoying their vacation. Kurt noted the variety of people there; there were families, young couples who Kurt wondered idly if they were newlyweds and older people. In the distance he could see a man wading through the sea with a little girl who must have been his daughter perched on his shoulders. He watched them for a while smiling slightly at the way the little girl waved her arms in the air and threw her little blonde head back to giggle until he heard chapping on his door.

He opened it to find Finn and Puck standing in the hallway in their swimwear, grinning eagerly at him.

"We're going to check out one of the pools," Puck began, "You wanna come with?"

"I haven't even unpacked my case, guys. Have _you_?" He questioned, although he already knew the answer."

Finn snorted. "As if! Come on, Kurt, loosen up. Your clothes will be creased already now, so it makes no difference. Come and enjoy the sun and your clothes will still be there for you to hang up when you get back."

Kurt pondered this for a moment. It would be good to cool down by the pool; he was sweaty from the journey. And it would be a shame to waste the gorgeous weather, he persuaded himself.

"Yeah, okay, fine. Just give me a minute to get changed and I'll come."

Ten minutes later, Kurt was making his way to the pool with Finn and Puck by his side, wearing a pair of black swim trunks with white tank top and his towel thrown over his shoulder.

They decided to go to the Courtyard Pool because it was supposed to be the biggest one but it was the pool bar that served food until ten in the evening that had really sold it for them.

When they arrived at the pool, Kurt was shocked by the sheer scale of the thing; it must have been at least three times bigger than the public pool back in Lima. Kurt had never been a fan of communal pools, because the few that he had been to had lacked in cleanliness but this one was absolutely immaculate and looked so refreshing and inviting.

He noticed that Finn and Puck were practically bouncing with excitement so he rolled his eyes at them and told them to get in the pool and he would put their towels down for them.

He picked sun loungers in an area where the sun was beating down and began carefully applying his factor twenty sunscreen; he was eager to begin building up a healthy golden glow, but he didn't want to burn. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't actually enjoy resembling a ghost. He inhaled the coconut scent of the cream and his mood immediately lifted; that smell always made him feel cheerful and at ease. He wondered vaguely if it was because he associated it with sunny days spent playing with his mom in his blow up pool in his back yard at home.

When he was finished he made his way to the edge of the pool and dipped his toe in to test the temperature, it felt freezing on his warm skin and he quickly pulled his foot away.

From the other end of the huge pool, Puck hollered, "Stop being such a wuss and get in the water, Hummel!"

He glared back playfully before deciding his best bet would just be to jump in and get it over with fast. He took a deep breath and hurled himself into the cold water. The low temperature was such a shock to his body that he gasped, inadvertently swallowing a huge gulp of water. He emerged spluttering and thanking God that the pool was clean.

Spending time splashing around and just goofing off with Finn and Puck did wonders for Kurt's emotional state. It was amazing to laugh; to _really_ laugh, not the polite false kind that he had been forcing since he found out Blaine was leaving but a real laugh that came right from his core and left his stomach muscles aching. For that half an hour he was almost able to forget about the throbbing pain in his chest and the fact that Blaine was no longer his boyfriend and that felt good.

When his fingers began to prune he left the two boys in the pool and made his way back to his sun lounger. He lay down and allowed the sun to dry him and warm up his skin again, sighing contentedly at the way his body felt boneless with relaxation. He was just about to give into the sleepiness that had washed over him when suddenly something was blocking the sun.

"Well, well, if it isn't Lady Hummel. I thought that was you at the other end of the pool. I had hoped otherwise, obviously."

Kurt's stomach plummeted with dread. He would recognise that obnoxious drawl anywhere but how could he be here? He opened his eyes and was faced with a soaking wet, half naked Sebastian Smythe towering over him, smirking that damned smirk. A myriad of emotions crashed over him then; frustration, confusion and rage were only a few. He wondered if he could be in the middle of a nightmare and briefly considered just closing his eyes again and waiting until he was awake and Sebastian was gone. The sandy-haired boy interrupted his train of thought.

"I know that I'm devilishly handsome and almost dangerously so when I have my shirt off, but it's still rude to stare." Sebastian gibed.

To his horror, Kurt felt himself flush as he snapped, "What the hell are you doing here, Sebastian?"

Sebastian took advantage of the fact that Kurt had sat and drawn himself up tightly by straddling the end of his sun lounger. He put his hand in his dripping hair and ruffled it in attempt to dry it, enjoying the way it caused Kurt to squawk indignantly as the cold droplets hit him.

"My dad owns this place and countless others like it all over the world." He explained smugly.

And just like that, realisation smashed Kurt in the face, leaving him feeling exceptionally slow and stupid.

"Of course, Smythe Luxury Resorts," he breathed.

"You don't miss a trick do you?" The Warbler mocked. "Anyway, how long are you here for?"

"Until the end of the summer." Kurt muttered. Suddenly that prospect seemed more like a prison sentence than a vacation."

"Oh, for the love of- So you're telling me I have to spend my entire summer in the same place as _you_?" Sebastian demanded. Then he brightened suddenly and began looking around. "Is Blaine here?"

The hope in the other boy's voice and the wolfish nature of his grin made anger simmer dangerously in Kurt's veins.

"No, he isn't." Kurt snapped.

"That's a shame," Sebastian commented. "That really would have made things a little bit more exciting around here. Whatever will he think when he hears his precious boyfriend is going to be spending the entire summer with big, bad Sebastian?" He questioned.

Kurt couldn't bear the thought of admitting that he and Blaine had split up to the snarky boy in front of him. He didn't think he would be able to take the snide, hurtful comments that would surely follow his confession. It was too soon and the break up was just too raw, so he ignored that part.

"Let's get this straight," he spoke, sounding more confident than he felt. "You and I will _not_ be spending any time together that is not completely necessary. I am going to stay out of your way as much as possible and you will stay out of mine."

Sebastian regarded him with that same infuriating smirk that made Kurt feel violent, "I don't know," he mused. "Where's the fun in that? I think I would much prefer to spend my time making you so mad that you flush that pretty pink colour over and over again."

Kurt spluttered and cursed his body for blushing furiously again. Before he managed to get out a response Sebastian was on his feet.

"See you around, Hummel." He quipped and turned on his heel, leaving Kurt breathing heavily with frustration.

This was not the vacation he had envisioned.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot!  
**Author's note: **We meet Sebastian's family in this part! I edited this part myself so if you guys spot any mistakes I might have missed it'd be great if you could let me know so I can get it sorted. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

It had been three days since Kurt's unpleasant encounter with Sebastian and he was still on edge from it. Every time he left his room he was careful to watch out for the other boy so that he could escape before he was forced to endure his company again.

Apart from that, Kurt was enjoying the vacation a lot more than he had expected to. Being so far from Lima and having no cell phone with him made it a lot easier to put the situation with Blaine to the back of his mind. Of course he still missed him but it came in waves that would take him by surprise and leave him in agony for a little while which he thought was better than being in a constant state of mourning over their relationship.

At first he had felt guilty about how much he was enjoying his self but a chat with Carole at the bar by the beach had put that to rest.

"Oh, sweetie, there's nothing to feel guilty about," she told him. "Blaine doesn't want you to be hurting; he loves you and his reasoning behind breaking up with you was that he thinks it will prevent you from hurting in the future. He doesn't want you to waste your vacation moping, he _wants_ you to feel okay."

He knew she was right; Blaine didn't like seeing _anyone_ miserable, least of all him.

"And besides, look at this place!" Carole gestured to their surroundings. "It's perfect! Just being in a place like this is bound to lift your spirits, you're only human. So, my advice to you is just to make the most of this vacation and you can worry about everything else when you get back home, okay?"

"As usual, Carole, you're right. I honestly do feel better now."

He leaned over on his stool and hugged her. Carole may not be his mom but he loved her all the same and he wasn't sure what he would do without her now.

"Who knows when I'll next see this kind of luxury if I'm going to be a poor intern living in a tiny apartment in New York?"

Carole laughed warmly, the crow's feet beside her eyes deepening.

"That's true! So, in the spirit of making the most of the vacation, how do you fancy having a sneaky cocktail with me?"

Kurt clapped his hands excitedly and reached for the cocktail menu.

"Let's keep this our little secret; your dad would have a fit if he found out that I bought you alcohol and I don't want Finn getting any ideas," said Carole, her grin mischievous.

After much deliberation he and Carole both chose strawberry daiquiris. The cocktails were like two huge strawberry slushies in gorgeous glasses with a sparkler in each.

"These taste amazing!" Carole praised. "You can barely taste the rum."

Kurt mmm'd in affirmation as he sucked on his straw.

"I probably wouldn't have minded getting slushied in school if it had tasted like this," he chuckled.

It was easy to joke about the humiliating ritual now that he knew he would never have to go back to McKinley and experience it again.

They spent two blissful hours at the bar gossiping and laughing and by the time they began to make their way back to their rooms the sun had already set. Carole had bought him one more strawberry daiquiri and his stomach felt full and heavy from all the fresh strawberry's that must have been in them.

He pondered taking a bath in the beautiful marble tub in his bathroom but he was so sleepy that he knew he would fall asleep while he soaked, so he decided on taking a quick shower instead.

The shower had three different hoses and between them there were twelve different settings to choose from – nothing like his shower at home. He set each hose to its most powerful setting and let the sprays massage his back and shoulders. By the time he had finished washing both his hair and body the mixture of rum, tiredness and relaxation had left him feeling completely boneless. He quickly towelled himself dry, pulled on a fresh pair of boxers and climbed under the lavish bed sheets.

For the first time since Blaine left, Kurt fell asleep without spending hours thinking of him.

_o o o o_

The next day, Kurt woke early in the afternoon feeling the best he had since he had arrived in the Maldives. For the first time, he was excited to get dressed and go out and spend time with his family. His talk with Carole had really turned his mood around.

On his way to the bathroom for his shower he noticed a slip of paper had been slid under his door, he picked it up and read.

'_We're spending the day at the Courtyard pool, come and join us if you feel like it._

Dad.'

He grinned at the piece of paper; he really did feel like it. He had barely spent any time with his dad since they got to the Maldives apart from dinner at night and he missed him.

After he had finished showering, Kurt dressed quickly in his swim shorts and a t-shirt then ordered himself a selection of fresh fruit for breakfast and sat out on his veranda to eat.

He ate slowly, savouring each delicious piece of fruit and watched the beach below him begin to fill up with other cheerful holiday makers. There was a young couple walking hand in hand along the shore trying to pick the best spot to lie in and without even thinking about it, Kurt smiled. The urge to shout abuse at people who looked as though they were in love seemed to have left him. For the first time in weeks he allowed himself to hope that he would be okay.

Kurt all but bounced down to the pool. He was looking around for his family when he heard his dad calling him.

"Hey, Kurt! Over here, buddy!"

His dad was waving at him from the pool bar where he and the rest of the Hudmels were sharing a table with another family. As he made his way over he put on his most charming smile to greet the other family with.

He took the only empty seat which was next to a sweet looking little girl with a golden pony tail who Kurt guessed must have only been around three or four.

He smiled down warmly at her and spoke gently, "Hi, sweetie."

The tiny, toothy, grin she offered him in response made Kurt's heart melt; he had a real soft spot for children. He viewed them as a source of hope because they could literally become anything, they were blank slates. If they were raised the right way they would form a generation free from hate, bigotry and intolerance. Plus, most of them were just seriously cute.

The woman who was sitting next to Carole noticed the exchange and laughed, "That's Abbie. Don't let her adorable exterior fool you; she's an absolute rascal really."

Abbie's sweet smile turned almost sly as she looked up at the woman.

"Noo, I'm a good girl, mommy."

Everyone at the table erupted into a round of cheerful laughter at the adorable display and Kurt leaned down to whisper in Abbie's ear, "I believe you."

From above Kurt, a Shirley Temple cocktail was placed in front of him, then strong, tanned arms encircled Abbie's waist and swooped her up into the air. Kurt could feel the colour drain from his face when for the second time during his stay in the Maldives, he looked up only to be faced with Sebastian Smythe.

The Warbler placed a quick kiss on Abbie's cheek as he dropped into the seat she had been occupying just moments before.

"You can sit on my knee, okay, sweetheart?" Sebastian asked her quietly, and then raised his eyebrows at Kurt as if daring him to even try and mock the show of affection.

Then he smirked, nodding down at the cocktail he had brought, "I was at the bar and I saw you coming. I know it's your favourite."

Kurt shot Sebastian a glare but refrained from arguing with him because he didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of this new family and he _definitely_ didn't want his father to know that he had been clubbing before. Although the experience had been far from wild he knew it wouldn't go down well with his dad anyway.

Burt introduced everyone else at the table to Kurt. The woman who had spoken to him before was Cassandra, Sebastian's mother. It was from her that he had inherited his sandy hair, slim figure and high cheekbones. As Kurt watched her interact with everyone else and fuss over her children, it became apparent that she was a lot like Carole; a warm, open woman with a quick sense of humour.

Her husband, Thomas, was nothing like the big-shot, stuck up, business man that Kurt had imagined when Sebastian had told him his father owned Smythe Luxury Resorts. In fact, he seemed to be the complete opposite of that as he conversed animatedly with Burt over a beer about things like, football and his plans as Congressman. Kurt also noticed that he looked at Cassandra as if she was both the moon and the stars which he thought was incredibly sweet. It was always nice to see married couples that were still in love.

Kurt thought they seemed like genuinely nice, normal people and he could not for the life of him figure out what had gone wrong and caused them to create a son as awe-inspiringly terrible as Sebastian. He decided they must have done something bad in a past life; it was the only plausible explanation.

Their eldest son, Alexander, was an incredibly handsome young man. With his father's dark hair and his mother's perfectly sculpted features, he was a striking mixture of both of his parents. He seemed to have inherited all of their best features and Kurt hoped that it made Sebastian seethe with jealousy. The grin that appeared on Alexander's face as he guffawed at something that Finn or Puck had said was a lot like Sebastian's but it was free of the nasty edge that his younger brother's smile often held.

The plump girl in the strapless, crème top and lilac, floral skater skirt who was shaking her blonde head and rolling her eyes at whatever the boys were talking about was Alexander's best friend Serena Lawrence. Her blonde locks and pretty features reminded him fondly of Quinn and made him want to get to know her. He appreciated her excellent taste in clothes, the outfit she was wearing was incredibly flattering and bang on trend; good fashion sense was always a quality that Kurt admired.

With the exception of Kurt and Sebastian, the two families seemed to be getting along exceptionally well. Even Finn and Puck didn't seem too ruffled by Sebastian's presence, which Kurt supposed made sense; New Directions and the Warblers had made amends, why would they hold a grudge towards him? Although Kurt had moved past the slushy incident, he still found Sebastian to be a thoroughly unpleasant person. He didn't _hate_ him per-se but he most definitely did not want to spend his vacation with him.

"Not thirsty?" Sebastian enquired, his lips curling easily into a smirk. Kurt wondered if he practiced smirking in the mirror at night because he really was excellent at it.

When Kurt didn't even bother to answer him, Sebastian huffed in annoyance.

"Jesus, Kurt, you're not being much fun, usually you're always up for a good argument. It's like you've got no fight left in you," he observed and Kurt tried hard not to flinch at how accurate that was.

"Well, there's no use in ignoring me, it's not going to make me go away," Sebastian continued. "Our families are getting on like a house on fire, so it looks as though we'll be spending a lot of time together." He paused for a moment before pointing at the Shirley Temple. "If you're not going to drink that, can Abbie have it?"

"What? Oh, yeah of course she can." Kurt answered, pushing the drink towards Sebastian. He wasn't going to deny that sweet little girl something just because her brother happened to be an asshole.

Kurt watched, fascinated as Sebastian held the glass so that his little sister could drink through the straw. It was such a simple gesture but it seemed so foreign to see Sebastian doing something just to help another human being.

Sebastian's father clapped his hands together and looked around the table at the Hudson-Hummel's.

"We're going out on one of the family boats tonight to have dinner and a few drinks, if you all would like to join us?"

Kurt's family all made noises of approval before Carole answered, "Yes, we'd love to! Thank you, that's so kind of you to offer."

Thomas beamed, "Excellent, we can meet at the dock at around seven o'clock."

Finn and Puck whooped and high fived Alexander, who's eyes were alight with excitement, seemingly at having more boys to spend time with. Kurt could already envision the kind of mayhem the three of them were probably going to cause over the course of the vacation.

_o o o o_

Thomas had told them to dress smart-casual for dinner so that's why at six o'clock Kurt was standing in front of his wardrobe, trying to choose an outfit. It had to be perfect. It wasn't that he cared what Sebastian thought about what he looked like but he didn't want to give the Warbler any reason to say anything rude to him in front of everyone at the dinner table. That would be mortifying.

Finally, he settled on a pair of tight grey jeans that hugged his behind just right and slipped on a crisp white shirt, rolling the sleeves up to his elbows. He moved to the mirror to inspect his appearance and fiddled with his hair until it was just right. After giving himself an approving nod and taking one last calming breath, Kurt left to meet his family.

_o o o o_

When the Hudmel's arrived at the dock Sebastian and his family were already there. When he spotted them, Alexander's face split into a wild grin and he pulled a disgruntled looking Serena away from where they had been speaking with Sebastian. Once Burt and Carole were out of ear shot Alexander slung his arm around Finn's shoulder and said,"You boys ready for tonight? This is gonna be absolute _carnage_!"

As Finn, Puck and Alexander whooped and slapped each other on the back in a manner that distinctly reminded Kurt of gorillas, he heard Serena mutter, "I highly doubt that, Alex. We're only going to have a meal on the boat; it's not a booze cruise."

Kurt snorted at that and Serena whipped her head round to face him before letting a little smile creep onto her face.

"Please save me from having to listen to their inane chatter all night," she pleaded.

Kurt held out his arm to her and grinned, "Of course, kind lady."

When she slipped her arm into his, Kurt knew that he had made a friend and allowed himself to hope that the night wouldn't be completely excruciating.

_ o o o o_

While they waited for dinner everyone sat around a huge table chatting and getting to know each other better. Kurt found his earlier assumption about becoming friends with Serena had been completely right and he decided she was perfect. Quick witted and self-assured with gorgeous fashion taste, she was everything Kurt liked in a person. They spoke about everything from the English degree she was studying, to Vogue, to the year's summer trends and Kurt felt completely at ease with her until she lowered her voice and brought up Sebastian.

"I know you two don't get on," she said, glancing over at the other boy who seemed to be charming Kurt's father and making him laugh heartily all while bouncing Abbie on his knee. "And I understand why too but he's not all bad. He just puts up this front when he meets people, I don't know if it's a defence mechanism or something but when you get to know him he's a good guy."

Kurt raised his eyebrow sceptically at her.

"He's never seemed like the type of person to _need_ a defence mechanism. Did you know he tried to steal my boyfriend?" he asked shaking his head incredulously. "He didn't even try and hide the fact."

She sniggered then tried to cover it up with her hand.

"I'm sorry for laughing but you have to admit if it wasn't your boyfriend you'd probably find his absolute audacity hilarious too. Maybe I'm over stepping the mark since we've only just met," she continued. "But I've known Seb since he was a kid and I think you two would get along so well."

Kurt snorted and patted her arm, "I doubt that _very_ much. I wouldn't say we were enemies but friends? That we'll never be."

"Who knows," she replied with a small shrug.

Kurt was about to argue his case but was distracted as two waiters brought their starters to the table.

The food was amazing; everything tasted fresh and full of flavour and Kurt didn't think he'd ever get enough of it.

The conversation flowed easily and Kurt was pleased to find that if he didn't look at Sebastian and Sebastian didn't speak, he could almost pretend that he wasn't there and enjoy himself.

Everything was going well until Kurt and Sebastian became their parent's topic of conversation.

"We were surprised when we found out about his sexuality," Sebastian's father stated. "But if I'm honest, I think the shock came more from walking in on him having sex rather than the fact that it was with a boy."

Kurt covered his mouth with his hand to stop his shocked laughter while everyone else positively guffawed at the story. He cast his eyes over in Sebastian's direction, eager to see the other boy looking embarrassed and uncomfortable but he was disappointed.

"That happened once!" Sebastian exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air in mock exasperation. Something about the grin on his smug face told Kurt that he was not embarrassed about his father sharing the story in the slightest.

'_Does this idiot have no shame _at all_?' _Kurt thought.

"Well," Burt began, still chuckling a little. "Kurt's coming out wasn't as big a shock but it took us a while to be comfortable enough to really talk about it. I think we're doing pretty good now though, right kiddo?" he asked, turning to Kurt.

Kurt felt his face heat up slightly. He wasn't sure if it was because his dad was discussing his coming out in front of everyone or that he'd called him 'kiddo' in front of Sebastian.

"Yeah, dad," he answered, putting on his most genuine smile. He knew his dad meant well. "We're in a good place."

Burt grinned at him across the table.

"I think Kurt's ex, Blaine, helped a lot with that. Great kid; really helped put me at ease about Kurt having a boyfriend."

Kurt froze in his seat, his cutlery still half way to his mouth; he hadn't been prepared for Blaine to be brought up and hearing him be referred to as his ex hurt Kurt more than he could have ever imagined it would. He felt as though he had been winded. He forced himself to take some subtle, calming breaths because he was most definitely not going to show an ounce of weakness in front of Sebastian Smythe.

"Wait," Sebastian cut in. "Ex? I didn't know you and Blaine broke up."

He was looking straight at Kurt questioningly and Kurt felt anger wash over him at the fact that Sebastian was probably feeling positively gleeful about his and Blaine's break up.

Luckily for Kurt, his dad answered for him; he wasn't sure if his voice would have come out if he had tried to speak himself.

"His father got a job in London, so his parents have moved him out there with them. Poor kid won't know a soul at his new school."

Images of Blaine having to find his way around a new school completely by himself flashed through Kurt's mind and it was all he could do not to burst into tears at the table. What if people in England made fun of him for his bowties? Or if he was bullied by homophobes? Kurt couldn't bear the thought.

He ignored Finn and Puck's concerned gazes and went back to his food but it didn't taste nearly as good as it had before, probably because the whole encounter had caused Kurt's mouth to go uncomfortably dry.

He was grateful when Carole changed the subject and began asking Mr Smythe more about the resort; the focus of the group was no longer on him. He avoided Sebastian's gaze for the rest of the meal.

Mr Smythe told them all about how the Maldives resort was the first of Smythe Luxury Resorts and about how he had pretty much built the place from the ground up. His pride was evident as he spoke which Kurt thought was sweet. He told the Hudmel's that he has a soft spot for this resort because it was the first and that he likes to spend time in it with his family every summer. By the time the meal was over, Kurt was in awe of what Sebastian's father had achieved.

When everyone was finished eating Mr Smythe had a staff member turn on music and the adults moved to the bar to talk and have drinks while Serena dragged him over to the 'dance floor', which was just an area with no tables or chairs, to dance with her.

All the tension he had been feeling at dinner gradually left him as he shimmied to the music and watched Serena laugh prettily at how her dress blew out as he twirled her under his arm. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Sebastian was sitting with his brother and the other boys, so he felt hopeful that he would be able to avoid speaking with him for the rest of the night.

However, his hopes were dashed when Serena left him alone so that she could use the bathroom. She had only been gone for a moment when Sebastian appeared behind him saying, "Come on, Hummel. Let's get a drink."

"No thank you," Kurt replied with a sneer.

Sebastian just rolled his eyes and took Kurt's arm and pulled him towards the bar, ignoring Kurt's threats and protests.

"I'll have a beer," Sebastian said to the woman at the bar, flashing her a charming smile. "And what do you want?" he asked Kurt.

"Oh," Kurt stuttered, shocked at actually being asked. "I'll just have a coke, please," he told the barmaid.

Before she turned away to get their orders Sebastian stopped her and said, "Make that a vodka and coke please, Maria."

She grinned at him, "Well, since you asked so nicely, Sebastian."

Kurt turned to Sebastian and told him through gritted teeth that he didn't want alcohol but the other boy merely rolled his eyes at him for the second time and told him to loosen up.

"You're on vacation, for God's sake."

Kurt grumbled but accepted the drink when it was handed to him anyway.

"How do you get them to serve you alcohol anyway? They must know you're underage."

Sebastian launched into an explanation about how he knew most of the staff at the resort pretty well since he visited a lot and that since he'd gotten older they didn't mind sneaking him a few drinks and doing him favours.

"So, you're like… _friends_ with the people here?" Kurt asked incredulously. He couldn't really imagine Sebastian being friends with anyone.

"Yeah, friends," Sebastian answered. "You know, just because you aren't one of them doesn't mean I don't have any."

"I didn't say that," Kurt muttered.

"You didn't have to," Sebastian told him as he raised his beer to his lips. "Your face said it all."

"Whatever," Kurt said dismissively, shaking his head. "What did you want anyway? If you're going to gloat about Blaine and I breaking up, go ahead and get it over with."

Sebastian snorted, "As if I care whether you and Blaine are dating or not."

"I thought you'd be pleased," said Kurt. "I know how much you were into him."

"I wasn't _into_ him," he stated. "He's hot, so yeah, I would totally fuck him but honestly he's too nice."

Kurt balked slightly at hearing Sebastian talk about sex so casually and in such a crude manner before enquiring, "Too nice?"

"Yeah, the guys at Dalton made him sound like some badass leader but he was just really," Sebastian paused to find the right word. "… _Nice_. I really only carried on flirting with him so much because it made you furious which was _hilarious_."

Kurt's mouth fell opened in shock. The fact that someone would put so much effort into just _annoying_ him for fun was completely bewildering to him.

"You are such an ass," he told Sebastian, exasperation clear in his voice.

Sebastian just grinned, looking completely impressed with himself, "Yeah, probably."

Kurt took a sip of his drink and listened as the Warbler began to speak again.

"So anyway, I brought you over here because it looks like our families have really hit it off and I'm guessing we're going to be forced to spend a lot of time together."

"Hooray," Kurt deadpanned. Sebastian, however, was unfazed by Kurt's interruption and continued to speak.

"So, I was thinking we should try and get along. We don't need to be _friends_," he explained at Kurt's horrified look. "But if we keep being hostile towards each other this is going to be a _long_ summer."

Kurt was definitely taken by surprise but, although he didn't like to admit it, Sebastian was right. If they both didn't try to put their animosity aside it might upset their families, who all seemed to be having a great time together, and it would definitely ruin their vacation.

"Does that mean you're going to stop being so snarky all the time?" he asked.

"Well," Sebastian said. "I can't promise that but I _do_ promise to stop calling you names with 'lady' or anything similar in them if you promise to stop glaring at me when you think I'm not looking."

Kurt couldn't help the laugh that escaped him; he really thought he had been subtle with the glares.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed. "I suppose I can do that."

Sebastian held his hand out for Kurt to shake and when Kurt only stared at his hand and asked if he was serious he reached forward and grabbed Kurt's hand and shook hard.

"There, it's a deal; we've shaken on it," he informed Kurt before turning to the bar. "Maria, can we have another round?"

* * *

**Author's note:** Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and added this to their alerts! It's so rewarding to see that other people are enjoying something I created.

Also, for anyone who's interested, my tumblr url is tangledsenses too. I sometimes post updates about the writing process there and if I knew people who read this followed the blog I'd like to start posting little extras about the fic there. You know things like character profiles for original characters and pictures of how I imagine the resort and such. So if you do follow me just pop a message in my ask letting me know you're a reader!


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plot!

**Author's note: **I am so sorry for how long this chapter has taken. Real life got in the way and also I'm awful for procrastinating but for everyone who asked, this story has not been abandoned and it never will be. This fic is my baby and even if it takes me until I'm ninety I'm going to finish it. I hope you all enjoy this!

* * *

In the week since Kurt and Sebastian had made their pact, Kurt had almost learned to relax around the other boy. When their families were spending the day together Kurt didn't feel completely wary and on edge like he had expected to. Most surprising of all to Kurt was the fact that Sebastian didn't behave like his usual horrendous self all of the time.

The Warbler seemed to be keeping to their deal and hadn't called Kurt one derogatory nickname and had kept his teasing to a minimal. In fact, on more than one occasion the pair had shared an interesting, civil conversation and Kurt had discovered that Sebastian had been playing the guitar since he was six years old and that he liked to go fishing with his grandfather sometimes. It both intrigued and unsettled Kurt to learn that Sebastian wasn't just an irritating asshole out to ruin his life, there were other dimensions to him. He was just a teenager like Kurt and his friends.

Kurt couldn't help but be utterly fascinated by Sebastian's relationship with his younger sister, Abbie. He would furtively watch them interact with each other and each time he was blown away by how different Sebastian was with her. There wasn't a trace of his usual snarky-ness; his smiles were warm, his touches gentle and it was obvious that he completely adored the little girl. Kurt would never admit it but sometimes when he was observing the pair, warmth wood bloom deep in his chest and every time that happened it left Kurt feeling confused and annoyed with himself.

'_Sebastian Smythe is not my friend,_' he would firmly remind himself on those occasions.

Even after all of his stern warnings, Kurt found himself watching Sebastian and Abbie playing in the pool from behind his sunglasses while he lay by the pool. Sebastian had his baby sister on his back and Kurt couldn't stop the smile that tugged at his lips at the way Sebastian would grin every time Abbie giggled.

"I told you he wasn't a complete asshole," Serena said as she sat down on the sun lounger next to Kurt, startling him from his reverie.

"Who?" Kurt asked, trying to sound oblivious. He cringed at how stupid and obvious he sounded and he couldn't believe he had just been caught staring at _Sebastian Smythe_ of all people.

Serena just snorted and smirked knowingly at him. Kurt wasn't sure what it was that she thought she knew but he was certain that it wasn't good.

**‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›**

The following day, Kurt had just pulled his clothes on after his morning shower when there was a knock at the door. Forehead wrinkled in confusion, he made his way over to answer it. He knew it couldn't be any of his family since they were all busy with various members of the Smythe clan. His parents had gone out on a boat trip with Cassandra, Thomas and Serena, and he had declined an offer from Finn and Puck to go play tennis with them and Alexander.

He opened the door, expecting to find a maid or some other member of staff and was surprised to be greeted by Sebastian standing in the hallway, a vague almost-smile on his lips. Kurt looked down to where Sebastian's hand was joined with Abbie's who was grinning expectantly up at him.

"Kurt!" she exclaimed. "Sebby's taking me to see the fishy's do you want to come with us?"

Her eyes were wide and eager and Kurt found himself saying yes without even really thinking about it. Even more shockingly was the fact that he actually meant it, he really _did_ want to go.

"Is that okay, Sebby?" He asked with a mocking edge to his voice. His eyes flickering back up to meet Sebastian's gaze, the other boy seemed totally unruffled by Kurt's teasing.

"Obviously. I wouldn't have come here if it wasn't," Sebastian drawled without any real malice behind his words.

"She really wanted you to come," Sebastian told Kurt, inclining his head down in Abbie's direction as they made their way down towards the beach. "She seems to have taken a liking to you. I can't imagine why."

Kurt snorted at the jibe.

"She obviously has good taste. Don't you, sweetie?" He smiled warmly at her when she turned her big oceanic eyes on him and nodded. "What are we actually going to do today? Visiting an aquarium or something?"

Sebastian looked at Kurt incredulously. "Why would you visit _an aquarium_ when there's all of this to explore?" He gestured out towards the sea which was the most gorgeous, clear shade of blue. "We're going snorkelling, duh."

"_Duh_," Kurt mimicked with a roll of his eyes.

He hid his enthusiasm, not wanting Sebastian to know that he was looking forward to an activity that he had chosen but in actuality, Kurt was thrilled. He had never been snorkelling before, so the promise of seeing all different kinds of tropical sea life had him feeling as excited as Abbie looked.

Sebastian led them over to a shack on the beach to get their snorkelling equipment and Kurt stood back and watched as he greeted the man working there with a friendly pat on the arm.

"It's good to see you again, Ahmed," Sebastian said, his voice warm and genuine. Kurt wondered if he would ever stop being surprised by the sight of Sebastian behaving pleasantly towards other human beings. He doubted it.

Ahmed looked to be in his mid thirties and looked as if he was a local. Sebastian seemed to know him well and Kurt wondered if Ahmed had worked here since Sebastian was a child. Images of a little Sebastian coming here to snorkel for the first time flooded Kurt's mind causing him to smile involuntarily before he was shaking the thoughts from his head and reminding himself: '_Sebastian Smythe is not my friend and I don't care about his childhood._'

Then Ahmed crouched down so that he was level with Abbie who was standing with one arm wrapped around Sebastian's slim leg.

"Abbie Smythe, is that you?" he boomed, making her giggle and nod. "I can't believe it! You've grown so much since I saw you last year!"

She puffed out her chest, obviously proud of her recent growth spurt, causing Sebastian to snort and shake his head.

"She's such a drama queen," he chuckled, turning his head to face Kurt.

"I wonder who she picked that up from," Kurt replied pointedly, barely managing to smother his smile at Abbie's antics.

Sebastian flipped Kurt off and turned away quickly but not quickly enough for Kurt to miss the way his lips had begun to pull up in amusement.

"So," Ahmed began, as he stood back up and gestured to Kurt. "Who's this? Have you finally decided to get serious with someone, Sebastian?"

Sebastian made a sort of choking noise that Kurt would have found absolutely comical if he hadn't reacted in exactly the same way. They both denied that they were dating quickly and loudly.

"As if I'd ever stoop to dating Casper the friendly ghost over here," Sebastian answered haughtily.

"Hey!" Kurt reprimanded and smacked Sebastian's arm. "Listen, horse teeth, I've actually managed to achieve a perfectly golden glow since arriving here."

Kurt held up his arm in front of Sebastian's face to show off his tan.

"Pfft, if anything you've gotten paler," Sebastian retorted before pushing Kurt's arm away and turning back to Ahmed. "This is Kurt Hummel; we know each other from back home."

"Ah, I see," Ahmed nodded, his eyes twinkling with something that Kurt couldn't quite place. "It's very nice to meet you, Kurt."

After the introductions were by Ahmed gave them everything they would need for snorkelling and they continued along the beach.

As they walked away Ahmed called after them, "It's a shame you two aren't together, you would make a handsome couple!"

"Obviously Ahmed's losing it," Sebastian commented.

"Yeah, anyone in their right mind would never use the word handsome to describe you even if you were with someone with bone structure as perfect as me."

"Oh my God," Sebastian barked out a surprised laugh and shoved Kurt, causing him to stumble in the sand. "And you say I'm obnoxious!"

They found a spot on the sand to lay down their towels and put their wetsuits on over their swimming clothes.

Sebastian, who had experience with snorkelling, helped Abbie into her tiny little wetsuit then put on his own with ease and when he was finished Kurt was still struggling to get his on. Even though Kurt was no stranger to wiggling into tight outfits, he could not for the life of him get the rubber suit pulled up properly.

Sebastian watched Kurt struggle with complete delight for five minutes before finally giving in and going to help him.

"Fucking hell," Sebastian swore quietly so that Abbie wouldn't hear. "It'll be dark by the time we get to go in the water at this rate."

Kurt blushed hotly, embarrassed that he couldn't even manage to get a wetsuit on himself, and in front of Sebastian of all people. He knew the other boy would never let him forget this. Sebastian tugged at the rubber so that it wasn't all twisted and bunched up incorrectly at Kurt's middle and held it up so Kurt could slide his arms in.

"It's as if I'm taking _two_ four year olds to the beach," Sebastian mocked.

He moved behind Kurt and pulled the wetsuit up over Kurt's shoulders. When he pulled the zip up, his knuckles skimmed over the skin of Kurt's back, making him shiver and causing little goose bumps to break out over Kurt's warm skin. He didn't even want to think about what that meant.

"Can we go see the fishy's now?" Abbie asked, looking at the pair through her snorkelling mask.

"Sure thing, sweetheart," Sebastian agreed and took her little hand in his.

With their flippers under their arms they walked along the beach barefoot, chattering idly until they reached a shallow area of the coral reef.

"You can snorkel anywhere in the ocean here, really," Sebastian explained to Kurt as they put on their flippers. "But I like it out here and there's a lot to see even though it's not too deep which is good for Abbie."

Kurt nodded in understanding before asking, "So is this something you do a lot when you're here?"

"Yeah, I like to come out and snorkel when my family start pissing me off," he replied with a chuckle. "I mean I love spending time with them but sometimes I just need some peace and quiet so I come out here and just hide under the water. I've done it since I was a kid."

"I suppose it's better than locking yourself in your room," Kurt answered as he got to his feet. "I can't wait to get in there."

"Let's go then," Sebastian responded, pulling his mask over his eyes and putting his snorkel in his mouth. He gripped Abbie's hand firmly and led her into the water.

Kurt followed closely behind them and was surprised to find that the water wasn't cold like he expected it to be; it was the perfect temperature. Everything in the Maldives and this resort seemed to be perfect and Kurt knew that when they eventually had to return to dreary old Lima it was going to be a real shock to his system.

They dipped under the water and Kurt was taken by how clear the water really was; it was so clean and pure that he could see everything around him perfectly which was lucky because the sights around him were some of the most beautiful he had ever seen. The corals alone were a sight to behold with their bright shades of pink, orange and green, and the fish were another story all together. Fish of every shape, size and colour swam by them in droves and it made Kurt's thoughts turn to Blaine.

For a painful moment he pictured sharing this with Blaine, imagined them swimming hand in hand, and imagined the awed look on Blaine's beautiful face. Kurt felt sick and sad and was considering getting out of the water when a little hand grabbed his. He looked at where Abbie's hand was holding onto his and then over to her other hand that was still holding onto Sebastian's and the ache in his chest began to ebb away. When he looked up, he locked gazes with Sebastian who then looked down at Kurt and Abbie's joined hands before meeting Kurt's eyes again. The Warbler shot Kurt a smile so small and fleeting that it could have been easily missed but Kurt caught it and for reasons unknown to him it made the last of his sadness disappear.

* * *

**Author's note:** A couple of people asked if I have tumblr. I do and my URL is buttercupblaine, so feel free to follow me if you're interest. I'm always happy to answer questions about the fic there and it would be lovely to just speak to some of you in general.


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